A nationwide analysis of hospital records finds that over 20 American children per day are admitted to hospitals with injuries caused by a firearm. While previous studies have documented young people killed by firearms, this one, conducted by the Boston Medical Center, is the first to examine non-fatal firearm injuries to kids. Among the findings: 89 percent of those hospitalized were males, six percent of those admitted died while hospitalized, more than half the injuries were open wounds, 75 percent of the injuries to children under age 10 were unintentional, and the highest injury rate was for teens aged 15 to 19, for whom firearms remain the second leading cause of death behind vehicle collisions. "This is a national public health problem," said the study’s author.

Comments

Barney at 10:39 pm on June 18, 2014

"More than half the injuries were open wounds."

So what were the rest? What kind of gun injury doesn't involve an open wound? Ringing of the ears? Swallowing bullets? a swollen toe from dropping a heavy gun? A burnt finger from using the sight to fry an ant?

Why don't we just say "11 kids hospitalized per day by guns" and get rid of the well-intentioned data massaging.

Robert wieder at 11:53 am on June 20, 2014

Barney:I was somewhat surprised by the reported data, too, but according to the Boston Medical Center study, only 52% of the firearm injuries involved open wounds, while 50% were fractures and 34% were internal injuries of the abdomen, thorax or pelvis. It's possible that "open wound" refers to a large exit wound as opposed to a smaller entry wound with internal injuries, but for further clarification you'll have to take it up with Robert Sege, BMC's director of their Division of Family and Child Advocacy and a co-author of the study.

Mehmet at 6:35 pm on June 22, 2014

Given the media attention to school shootings and the like, perhaps parents are sending their kids out with Kevlar vests these days: The injuries could then simply be bruises from the impact point. :-)